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The Enmity of Sanballat
v. 1. Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, the same men who had tried to make trouble before, Neh_2:10-19; Neh_4:1-7, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein, (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates, the openings being finished, but the massive doors themselves having not yet been hung,)
v. 2. that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the Plain of Ono, naming a town in the tribe of Benjamin, near what is now Lydda in the Plain of Sharon. Open threats having failed of their purpose, the enemies were determined to try deceit and stratagem. But they thought to do me mischief, as Nehemiah immediately concluded, their object being to get him into their power and thus hinder the completion of the fortifications.
v. 3. And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down; why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? Without in any way stating his suspicions, Nehemiah pleaded the importance of the work which he had undertaken.
v. 4. Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort, hoping to wear down his resistance by their persistent efforts; and I answered them after the same manner, for he was too shrewd to fall into the trap prepared for him.
v. 5. Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand, the intention being to stir up the Jews against Nehemiah, (at the same time, a letter which was not sealed and not enclosed in a special covering, as the custom of the time prescribed, was not so much informal as designedly disrespectful, a fact which Nehemiah was bound to notice at once,)
v. 6. wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu (Geshem the Arabian,
v. 1. ) saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel, planning to throw off the Persian rule; for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words, the alleged rumor to which Sanballat referred.
v. 7. And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, to proclaim his selection by divine authority, saying, There is a king in Judah; and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. This was, of course, an empty threat, a bluff. Come now, therefore, and let us take counsel together.
v. 8. Then I sent unto him, for Nehemiah readily saw through the scheme of the enemies, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, he denied that there was even so much as a rumor afloat concerning a proposed rebellion, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart, they were an invention of Sanballat's jealous mind.
v. 9. For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work that it be not done. That this was the purpose was so evident that Nehemiah was bound to notice it. Now, therefore, O God, strengthen my hands! That was Nehemiah's prayer at that time, showing where he placed his trust in the difficult situation confronting him. Similar tricks are tried by the world even in our days, particularly in their efforts to intimidate true Christian pastors. If open enmity fails, the adversaries resort to veiled threats in order to hinder the preaching of the Gospel.